Wolf Moon
by Starfox-Moonfyre
Summary: After a series of grisly mutalations, the BAU team is called in to stop the slayings. On scene, JJ is attacked, and the team is suddenly thrust into a dark world they never expected...please R
1. Prologue

AN: Here is my first CM multi chap fic. It is going to be mostly a team fic, but there will be JJ/Rossi in it. But mostly focusing on the team. I'm hoping that even those who don't like that pairing will be willing to give it a try. The prologue is pretty short. Please read and review, much appreciated!!

Wolf Moon

Prologue- Devil's Backbone State Forest, Shenandoah County, Virginia

The full moon shone dispassionately down on the forest. The silver light cast deep shadows in the trees, throwing the forest into a shuttering, silver light.

Joey Templeton inhaled deeply as he ran a familiar path through the darkened forest. Joseph "Joey" Templeton ran this path every night, even in the snow. An accountant by day, Joey used his nightly runs to clear his head and think. He had just gotten out of college, and had been hired by a DC area accounting firm. His life was going great; he had a loving girlfriend, Vanessa, talked to his parents, Mike and Susie, every week, and had just put a down payment down on a house for him and Vanessa.

He smiled as he ran. He planned on asking Vanessa to marry him this weekend. They had been dating since their freshman year in high school, had gone to college together, and already lived together in a small apartment. He was sure she would say yes, after all, how could she not? Joey ran in bliss, imagining how perfect the weekend would be. He couldn't wait to tell his parents that he was getting married.

Unlike many joggers, Joey never ran with earbuds and music. His parents had taught him to love nature, and to enjoy every facet of it, so he did. The natural world was his soundtrack. The music of owls, crickets and the wind running through the trees accompanied him every night.

Joey was so in the zone that he didn't notice right away when the crickets stopped chirping and when the owls left their trees, searching for different hunting grounds. The forest suddenly and inexplicably fell silent.

Joey paused in a moon drenched clearing. He glanced around, his heart pounding from the exertion. A trickle of fear ran up his back. The forest was never this quiet; the only sound was his own breathing. He looked around, his eyes darting from tree to tree, trying to penetrate the shadows.

"Hello? Is anyone out there?" he called nervously. He heard some leaves rustling as something moved out there.

He stepped back as the largest dog he had ever seen stepped from the shadows. The dog's shoulders had to go up to his chest.

"Hey bud," Joey whispered, his hands out towards the dog, "Where's your master, huh? Dogs are supposed to be on a leash on the trails…"

A low menacing growl cam from the dog. Joey was sure he had never seen teeth that big on the neighborhood dogs at home. He whimpered as three more dogs joined the first. They all stared at him, hardly moving.

Joey suddenly realized they weren't dogs. They were wolves.

"Oh shit," he whispered. He spun and ran, ran harder and faster than he had ever run before. The only thing he could think was that the news had never said anything about the zoo losing some wolves.

He thought he heard a voice ahead, and veered towards the sound. Maybe someone could help him.

But he only came across another wolf. It threw its head back and howled, the eerie sound cutting through the silence.

Joey spun and continued to run. He could hear the wolves behind him, around him. He was being hunted. His breath came in ragged gasps, tears streamed down his face. He could hear the excited yips of the wolves following him. He wondered if the wolves had gotten that person he had heard earlier.

Joey tripped; he hit the ground with a strangled yelp. He felt teeth rip into his calf. The other wolves surrounded him, growling and pushing each other to get prime meat.

He could hear their teeth ripping flesh from his body. Pain wracked his entire body, the copper scent of his own blood filled his nostrils. He cried out in pain.

Suddenly the wolves stopped; they stared down at him. He could swear they were waiting for him to bleed out, to die. The wolves seemed to enjoy watching him.

As he lay there, eyes closed, he remembered Vanessa chastising him for running at night.

"_You shouldn't run there after dark, Joey," she always said, "You never know what may be out there with you…"_

"You were right, Vanessa. I'm sorry," he whispered. His eyes cracked open, and the lead wolf leapt onto him. Joey saw the fangs dripping saliva, a gaping maw, and then merciful nothingness.

AN: so that's the prologue. Please drop me a review or PM and let me know what you thing!! Thanks

~Starfox


	2. Chapter 1

AN: here's the first chap of Wolf's Moon. I should be able to update on weekends, as my weeks are really busy (I train horses and have class). Please read and review! And thanks to Tracia, keelzz64, and pipsthief for the reviews of the prologue. Hope I don't disappoint!

A German Proverb states: _Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is._

Chapter One: Quantico, Virginia

Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau stared blankly at the images before her. It took her mind a while before it could process what she was seeing, and when it did, she heartily wished it hadn't, and that these images had never been sent to her.

Glancing at the fax machine in the corner of her office, JJ waited for the rest of the file to come through. From talking to the detective in charge, she had a fair idea of what it would say. The rest of the BAU team would be going over this in less than 30 minutes.

She quickly checked her email and confirmed that the images had been sent digitally as well. She quickly downloaded them to her laptop, just as the last pages of the fax came through. She gathered them up quickly and scanned through them. It was all the same information the detective had given her, just official now, along with the request for BAU assistance, signed by the county sheriff and town chief of police.

JJ gathered the file and her laptop and headed for the copy machine. Her blonde hair was pulled back from her face, and her slender body was incased in a gray pantsuit with a black turtleneck underneath. She flashed Morgan a bland smile as she walked by his desk; he saluted her with his coffee mug.

JJ quickly set about making enough copies for the team. She placed each set of papers in separate folders. The hard copies of the photos she placed in her own folder; the team would see them on the screen in the conference room.

Finished, JJ walked back through the bullpen towards the conference room. She glanced at the team members as she passed. Doctor Spencer Reid looked more like a prep school escapee with his corduroy trousers, button up shirt, orange tie (loosened) and green sweater vest. He smiled at JJ, and she smiled back.

Emily Prentiss looked typically chic in charcoal pants and a deep purple mock turtleneck. Her dark hair was loose, and touched just below her shoulders. She was finishing up some paperwork from the last case.

Derek Morgan could have been a model with his dashing good looks and easy charm. He was dressed typically in black, typing away at his computer, coffee mug in hand.

JJ paused at the door to Supervisory Special Agent in Charge Aaron Hotchner's office and stuck her head in. Supervisory Special Agent David Rossi was sitting across from Hotch. Hotch was tall, with dark good looks, clad in an impeccable grey suit, he could have been a CEO for a fortune 500 company. His black hair was neat, and his handsome face could have been carved from stone for all that he smiled.

David Rossi, on the other hand, dressed work casual, wearing blue jeans, a white shirt and blue tie, and a suit jacket. His black hair and beard were shot through with grey. Both men looked up at JJ.

JJ smiled briefly, "Conference room, five minutes."

"Thanks JJ," Hotch said. Rossi nodded and JJ turned and continued to the conference room.

While Hotch gathered the rest of the team, JJ plugged her laptop into the projector and brought up the pictures. As the projector warmed up, JJ placed the files on the circular conference table and waited for the team to enter.

She didn't have to wait long. Morgan came first, followed by the BAU's technical guru, Penelope Garcia. Reid and Prentiss were next, and Hotch and Rossi brought up the rear.

JJ handed files to each team member and waited for them to sit down.

"This morning I received a call from a detective Clark Simon of Shenandoah County, Virginia. Third mutilated body found in as many months. And we're not talking about eyes gouged out or fingers cut off with shearing prunes…"

"Not that that's not bad," Garcia muttered. JJ glanced up at her, and brought the first photo up on the screen behind her.

"The bodies were in several pieces. They're haven't even found all the pieces from all three cases. They were ripped apart, no tool marks evident."

Reid cut in, "What about teeth marks?"

Prentiss looked at him. "You're thinking dogs did this?"

"It's possible."

"Someone would have to train them," Morgan cut in.

"Whoa, slow down," Rossi said. "We don't even know for sure what happened to these people."

"Dave is right," Hotch said as he looked around. "I don't want us jumping to conclusions."

Reid nodded slowly, and JJ grimaced, remembering all to well what dogs could do.

"None that could be matched to anything," JJ murmured. The bodies had to be identified using DNA. There wasn't enough left for facial ID or fingerprints.

The team stared in silence as she rotated through the photos (except for Garcia, who had her eyes clenched shut and was holding the file folder in front of her face). The forest floor was littered with body parts; part of an arm here, what may have been part of a foot there. The ground was stained with blood.

"They were ripped apart there?" Morgan asked quietly, his hand on Garcia's shoulder.

"The amount of blood suggests it. Definitely not a dump," JJ stated grimly. "All three bodies have been discovered in the Devil's Backbone State Forest. Public access is being denied for the forest's sake. All three victims were trespassers."

Rossi flipped through the file, "And they were found by more trespassers. You think people would hear about it and stay the hell out of that forest."

"No shit," Morgan muttered.

"What about the victims?" Prentiss asked.

"The first was male, second female. Preliminary examination on the third says male as well. The first two have been identified as Johnny Johnson, from Strasburg Virginia. He was the star football player for the local high school. Female was Jessica McKendall, 23 year old undergrad visiting her parents in Star Tannery, Virginia, close to the forest."

"And the third?" Hotch asked.

"He was just found this morning. Detective Simon has sent DNA to our lab. As I said, prelim exam shows the vic to be male."

"The other bodies this bad?" Prentiss muttered.

"Yes," JJ stated simply. She took a deep breath and looked directly at Hotch. "They're saving this morning's crime scene for us."

The team went silent. Hotch nodded, his eyes drawn to the gruesome scene behind JJ. "Wheels up in thirty minutes."

**Star Tannery, Shenandoah County, Virginia**

Detective Clark Simon hunched his should as he sipped his coffee. He was waiting for the FBI to call him back about his mutilation case.

An African American in his late forties, Simon loved his job, and he loved his country. But on some days, like today, he wished he had never left the Army. Even when he was an Army Ranger serving in the first Gulf War he had never seen anything like those poor souls in Devil's Backbone.

"It's almost like the devil himself did it…" he muttered, nursing his coffee. The crime scene unit, along with a few Shenandoah county deputies were still out in that forest, holding the scene.

Simon nearly leapt out of his chair when his cell phone rang.

"Detective Simon."

"Detective Simon, this is SSA Jareau, we spoke earlier?"

"Of course…"

"We're on our way, Detective. We'll be landing at Mulberry Run Airport within the hour."

Simon closed his eyes in relief. "Thank you, Agent Jareau. Vehicles will be waiting."

"Thanks. See you then." Jareau clicked off. Simon quickly dialed the number for the Strasburg police department.

"Strasburg police."

"Hey, it's Simon. Can you patch me through to Danielson?"

"Sure thing, Detective," the operator said. The phone clicked as he was transferred to the other detective.

"Danielson."

"Hey Mark. The FBI will be landing at Mulberry Run in under an hour. Can you make sure the SUVs get there and then lead them up to Star Tannery?"

"Sure thing, Simon."

"Liaison is Supervisory Special Agent Jareau."

"Jareau, got it. See ya in while, boss."

Simon stared at into his coffee, his reflection shimmering on the murky brown liquid. The color suddenly reminded him of the blood soaked forest floor, and all he could see was an arm, the skin ripped to shreds, muscle torn to bits, laying in the forest, waiting for him to find the victim's justice.

AN: so that's the first chap. I know, not real exciting, but it'll get there. Hang with me! Please R&R!!


	3. Chapter 2

AN: okay, I know I am a horrid person, not updating like that. It's just this chapter was really tough to write for some reason, and I want to get to the good stuff, but this needs to be done. And life got crazy for a bit, with finals and then having to put two horses down (never fun). Anyway, very short chapter, thank you so much for putting up with me. Please continue to do so! I don't own CM.

Chapter 2- MULBERRY RUN AIRPORT, STRASBURG VIRGINIA

The BAU team stood on the empty tarmac, clutching their go bags and glancing warily at each other.

"Well, where's the welcoming committee?" Morgan groused.

JJ sighed and pulled her phone out. "I'll call Detective Simon and check. Give me a sec." Just as she began to dial, three older forest service Broncos came tearing up to them.

"Hey, I think this could be them," Prentiss said dryly, staring at the slightly battered Broncos.

A tall, gangly white man in an ill fitting suit poured himself out of the first vehicle.

"FBI? I'm Detective Danielson," he strode forward, his red hair sticking up in all directions.

"Agent Jareau," JJ said, shaking his hand. "These are SSAs Hotchner, Rossi, Prentiss, Morgan and Doctor Reid."

Danielson nodded to the rest of the team. "I know you expected Simon to be here, but he's in Star Tannery, closer to the Backbone. I'll be leading ya'll there." He gestured to the Broncos over his shoulder. "I realize they're not what you're used to, but the field office didn't have any spare black SUVs, not after a junior agent crashed in the parking lot last week."

"They'll be fine," Hotch said.

"Are the other two drivers accompanying us?" Rossi asked, gesturing to the forest service employees who had driven the other vehicles.

"No," Danielson said, "I have a squad car coming to pick them up. We want you guys to see the scene first, we have a hotel set up for you in Star Tannery."

The team headed towards the green and brown Broncos. Hotch and Prentiss joined Danielson in the lead one, Morgan and Reid in the second, with Rossi and JJ throwing their bags in the last Bronco.

The Bronco convoy drove off, heading towards the forest, and what awaited them there.

STAR TANNERY, VIRGINIA

The drive seemed to fly by, and it wasn't long before the Broncos pulled into the parking lot of a small café. There was another battered Bronco parked there, with the Shenandoah County seal on the door.

The BAU team piled out of the vehicles. Danielson glanced at them. "Simon is inside."

"Lead on," Morgan said, adjusting his sunglasses.

They walked into the café, the strong scent of fresh brewed coffee overpowering everything else. Clark Simon looked towards the door when it opened, and stood up upon seeing the team. He walked over to them, holding his hand out to Hotch, who clasped it briefly.

"Thanks for coming."

"Not a problem," Hotch said, "I'm SSA Hotchner, these are SSAs Rossi, Morgan, Prentiss, Jareau, and Doctor Reid."

Simon nodded and shook each of their hands. He paused at JJ, looking down at her solemnly.

"Thank you for looking into this case ma'am. We don't get many things like this happening here."

JJ looked up at the much taller man. "We want to solve this case too."

"Yeah," Morgan said, "We don't want things like this to happen anywhere."

"Amen to that," Danielson muttered. He ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up even more. "We got coffee for ya'll, but you might want to go the bathroom while we're here."

"Good idea," Prentiss said, heading for the ladies restroom. The rest of the agents quickly followed. The waitress set 8 large cups of coffee on the counter.

"Here's the coffee, Detective."

Danielson smiled at her, reading her name tag, "Thanks, Amanda."

When the agents returned from the restrooms and each took their coffee. Morgan inhaled the scent.

"This is awesome coffee, so much better than the dregs at the office."

"Fresh ground, everyday," Amanda said.

Simon looked at each of them, his dark eyes searching theirs.

"Let's go and get this over with. I'm tired of having these nightmares."

Rossi looked at Simon as everyone started to file out the door and back to the Broncos, coffee in hand. "Unfortunately, the nightmares won't get any better." Simon glanced at him as they left the café.

Rossi and sighed as he put his sunglasses on.

"They never do."

AN 2: Like I said, very short chapter, but it starts getting better, I promise.

Shoutouts:

Pipsthief: thanks! Please keep reading.

Keelz64: I am, I swear it.

Tracia: thanks

HansonFanGermany: I'll be faster, I swear.

Harriet123: shh! Don't tell (please). And please keep reading. Thanks for the review!


End file.
